1/26/2024 0 Comments Duterte trending newsWith an economy clobbered by the coronavirus, “the future of the county is at stake”, Hezekiah Concepcion, a social science professor at the Ateneo de Zamboanga University, told Al Jazeera. A presidential candidate only needs a plurality – winning more votes than any other candidate – to win. There are an estimated 65.74 million registered voters in the country. “We know that Duterte already has authoritarian tendencies, and I do not think Bongbong will be any better than Duterte in political governance,” Garcia told Al Jazeera. “If Bongbong Marcos wins, it affirms that Duterte’s victory is not just a blip in post-Marcos political history,” said Robin Michael Garcia, head of WR Numero, a technology-driven polling and data analytics firm based in Manila, using Marcos Jr’s nickname. Standing against her – and currently, the most popular candidate to replace President Rodrigo Duterte – is Ferdinand Marcos Jr, son and namesake of former dictator Ferdinand Marcos Sr, whose brutal rule was brought to an end by the 1986 protests.Īfter six years of strongman rule under Duterte, who is barred from running for president a second time, the stakes could not be higher. Trailing in the polls, Robredo is seeking to whip up her supporters and pull off another come-from-behind victory on May 9 as she did in 2016 when she was elected vice president. Since the 1986 People Power protests and the restoration of democracy, elections for president and vice president have taken place every six years, with Filipinos also voting for 12 senators, more than 300 House members and about 18,000 local positions – from governors to town council members – in a circus-like political jamboree that lasts three months. But during a pandemic, when community lockdowns and rigid limits on mass gatherings are the new normal, organisers say the turnout exceeded their expectations.Īs the campaign season officially kicks off on Tuesday, Robredo and the other candidates have been forced to adjust to an electoral landscape turned upside-down by COVID-19. ![]() In a typical election year, when candidates woo voters at events up and down the country of 7,107 islands, Robredo’s Mardi Gras-style reception would have been considered tame. ![]() Their voices were drowned out by the booming live music playing for a dance troupe that was swaying and twirling in native costume as it welcomed the Philippines’ highest-ranking female official. Other supporters stood by, waving hand-made posters and rose-coloured banners with Robredo’s image, shouting her name in unison. The presidential candidate obliged her mask-wearing fans as her staff repeatedly reminded the growing crowd to keep their distance because of COVID-19 restrictions. Zamboanga del Norte, Philippines – Wading through a crowd of supporters, Vice President Leni Robredo moved carefully as a group of teens started to gather around her, hoisting their phone cameras, ready to take selfies.
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